Part IV of Chronicle - Leveling the Playing Field
by Puff-Cloud
Summary: Ayeka's life is saves and Sumakka's past is revealed to Mihoshi and Kiyone.


Leveling the Playing Field  
Part IV of the "Chronicle" Series  
By Greg "Puff-Cloud" Kerby  
  
Chapter 1  
  
"We have to get into my lab as soon as possible. I can   
block the power drain if we act quickly!" Cried Washu. Ayeka   
was losing her Jurai power at the hands of Kagato. Washu turned   
to Ryoko. She knew exactly what Washu would ask of her.   
Without hesitation, she carefully picked Ayeka into her arms   
and followed Washu to the staircase that led to her subspace   
lab. But she refused to believe that Kagato was alive. She   
had seen Tenchi destroy the fiend with the Lighthawk Sword. `Impossible! Kagato had disintegrated right before her eyes,'   
thought the space demon. It was becoming a paradox between   
two outcomes, which spawned only two questions. How could   
Kagato possibly be alive? And if he is, what is he going to   
do next?  
  
Washu stopped for a moment to turn around. "Tenchi...Sasami...and you..." she spoke, pointing her finger   
straight at Sabi. The pupils of his eyes contracted slightly.   
"Huh? Who...me?" He said. "Washu, don't let Ayeka die!"   
Cried Sasami. She had tears in her eyes. She recalled the   
events she had with Ayeka. She cared so much for her sister.   
When she thought she was just Tsunami's creation, it was her   
sister who said that didn't matter and that she would always   
be her sister, creation or not. She wanted those moments to   
last forever.  
  
Washu knelt down in front of Sasami and put her hand on   
Sasami's shoulder. "That's why I need you, my dearest   
Sasami." She spoke softly. The young princess slowly lifted   
her head. She still had tears in her eyes, but her facial   
expressions calmed everyone down. Suddenly, she was almost   
startled by a hand resting on her shoulder. It was Tenchi's   
hand. "Don't worry Sasami. We'll save Ayeka." Spoke Tenchi   
softly. "Yes. We'll do all we can to save your sister." Said   
Sabi, walking toward the others. Sasami wiped her eyes dry   
of her tears. Tenchi extended a hand to her, which she gladly   
took in her hand. A smile appeared on Washu's face. "Then   
shall we?" Washu said as she walked towards the lab door.   
The others followed her, except Mihoshi. Her watch was going   
off. She looked down at her watch. "An emergency! Oh dear.   
I'd better get to my shuttle quickly!" She cried, turning   
the watch off. With that, she reached her hand into her   
hair and pulled out a white puffball. She squeezed it,   
transforming it into her control cube. Mihoshi turned the   
right side of the cube clockwise, instantly teleporting   
her to her shuttle.  
  
************************************************************  
  
Location: Battle Ship Kunai  
Planetary System: Galaxy M31-"Milky-Way" Solar System  
  
Kagato wandered about on the ship, observing the   
different components of the Kunai. His brother's ship was   
an excellent piece of work. But that was beside the point.   
The point was to figure out the best way to destroy the one   
that had nearly destroyed him in the past. He knew this   
time; it wouldn't be easy to get past him. Sumakka had no   
idea how powerful this boy could be. And he could have other   
possible allies accompanying him, not including his current   
ones (Ryoko, Ayeka and Sasami, Mihoshi, Washu). Konachi's   
family succession survived into the current 3rd generation.   
But in the midst of it, he needed to keep himself prepared.   
Still, if he could, he wanted that Master Key badly. Then   
he could finally be able to possess and control the power   
of Tsunami. He would stop at nothing to have his hands on   
it, now that he would Princess Ayeka's royal blood in his   
veins.  
  
***********************************************************  
  
The only sounds in the laboratory were the many   
machines at work, and the sound of Washu typing on a keyboard.   
Ayeka lay in a small capsule, as big as a hyperbolic chamber   
fit for one to lie down in. Tenchi, Sasami, and Sabi were   
sitting in chairs with an IV in each individual wrist. Washu   
was busy typing on a keyboard when she heard a sound on the   
screen in front of her. She looked carefully, making sure   
she had read the data correctly. She suddenly stopped with   
a terrifying look on her face, which slowly turned into a   
smile. "She will recover within minutes, Sasami. Your   
sister will live." Tears were on the brink of falling down   
her cheeks. It was a dream she thought would never come true.   
She had to admit; after all... only one person other than   
Tsunami could perform such an incredible feat. And that   
person could only be Washu.  
  
"I'm not through just yet, you guys." The three in   
the chairs were not sure what she meant by that. With that,   
Washu descended from her floating cushion. She proceeded   
to a small box. She pushed some buttons of a keyboard.   
After coming open, she took out a small device shaped like   
an oval. "What is that, Washu?" asked an intrigued Sasami.   
"It will keep Kagato from absorbing Ayeka's Jurai life force." remarked the scientist, who snapped her fingers. The tentacle   
arms used to ensnare Tenchi during her bizarre experiments,   
instead, took the IVs out of the Tenchi, Sabi, and Sasami,   
followed by some gauze to soak up the blood that began to   
slowly emerge from their arms. The sound of the chamber   
depressurizing filled the room, which was followed by a short   
silence. The door opened slowly until Ayeka was in view.   
Washureached out and put the device on the princess' upper   
arm. "She should wake with an hour. No need to thank the   
Great Washu, the universe's number one genius scientist!!!"   
cried the seemingly   
happy Washu.  
  
Tenchi and Sasami cheered with joy. "Thank you,   
Little Washu." cried Tenchi. Sabi could only look on with   
solitude. Not only that, he had a sense of accomplishment   
in his smile.   
  
End of Part IV 


End file.
